


utmost delicacy

by Lee_Mix



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 12:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5416331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lee_Mix/pseuds/Lee_Mix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, she was amazed at the gentle atmosphere that had formed between them; and how she would never trust someone to the same degree again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	utmost delicacy

**Author's Note:**

> I love the quiet moments in-between the chaos that demonstrate the trust that those wonderful kids have for one another. Consider this to be a post-reveal story, and I do hope you all enjoy. ^_^ (Also, I’m aware that Ladybug’s Luck Charm technically negates injuries caused by Akuma… eh, let’s just forget that little bit of canon.)

“Delivering you to your room, offering to bandage up your wounds… perhaps a kiss from yours truly would grant your heart’s desire, my Lady?”

Marinette barely concealed a snort, however, she was careful to avoid another shot of pain from her bloodied shoulder. Adrien, blinked out from his Chat Noir persona, sighed a little under his breath as he went to ready another spray-bottle of iodine.

It had been her own fault. The  _one_ second she took her eyes of the Akuma to check if her friends were safe, and she had been knocked against a sharp piece of debris that had dug small glass shards into her shoulder  _before_ she had transformed into Ladybug.

The rest of the fight had been… difficult, to say the least. 

Night had fallen by the time they had managed to get the victim under control, and it was under the cover of that same darkness that Chat Noir had brought her back home, and was now keeping his voice down as he played doctor.

“I’m going to need to get the rest of the shards out, okay?”

Marinette winced at the thought. “I thought I got them all out?”

“Not quite.” He pointed. “Some of them have been embedded slightly  _under_ the skin. I’ll need to get them out, and you  _need_ to remain still, Princess.” He squeezed her hand gently. “I’ll be as gentle as I can, alright?”

Marinette nodded. “Just… get it over with.”

He nodded at her, before she saw that familiar glare of the silver tweezers. A familiar few spikes of pain shot from her shoulder and forearm, as he removed the shards with the pair of tweezers. He looked like cat with that intense glint of his lingering in his eyes, focusing in on his prey. Each small “click” that plucked the small broken shards, each slight tear from the seams of her skin was forcing her to gulp down her pain. It manifested into a whimper, and her eyes were watering pathetically as her chin wobbled.

“There we go.” He placed the tweezers down. “All out.”

Marinette hadn’t noticed she was trembling until he smoothed his large hand over hers, and playfully poked at her fingers with his. “Promise?”

That beautiful smile returned. “I promise.”

“Good…”

“Where else is hurting you? It’s best if I apply the iodine to the cuts sooner, rather than later.” He rummaged through the small first-aid kit. “There’s a few bandages in here, too. Did you have any open cuts that needed stitches?”

“No. I would have felt it.”

“ _Marinette…_ ”

She flushed. “I  _am_ telling the truth! I don’t have any  _open_ cuts. It’s just… well, I…”

He cocked his head to the side. “Yeah?”

She bit her lip, and felt her face grow hot. “I… I sort of… got cut. Hurt, even. Around… here.”

His eyes followed to where her finger pointed. Right in the middle of her collarbone and left breast. Marinette wasn’t surprised to see a small amount of heat flood his cheeks. 

“Ah. I see.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Did you not want me to clean up your cuts there? Do you not feel comfortable?”

_Huh?_

“I… I don’t exactly  _mind._ But, it… it wouldn’t make  _you_ feel embarrassed?”

Gently, he clasped her hand, and held it close. “Mari,” he said, voice hushed and soft. “I’m more interested in knowing you’re going to be  _okay._ And it’s not like we’re going to be  _doing_ anything, either. I’m just going to fix up a wound.” His gaze reached hers, and she felt like she could  _melt._ “Is that alright with _you,_ though?”

It was infectious. She couldn’t help but smile. “No, that’s… it’s fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Mm. I am. And, to be honest, it’s stinging like  _hell._ I’d rather it be done now, rather than later.”

Adrien reached over, and carefully combed her loose black locks to fall over her other shoulder, tucking any flyaways behind her ear. His thumb lingered momentarily on her cheek, brushing at her jaw, before he, albeit somewhat hesitantly, pulled away from the affectionate act. 

It was then he undid a button on her blouse, and her face grew even hotter as she slipped her arm out of the sleeve (carefully, not to aggravate the wounds any further), as well as the bra strap hanging somewhat loosely down her forearm. 

The cool mist of the iodine spray went on the open cut, and she winced. “Nngh–!”

He pulled back, alarmed. “Are you alright?”

“F-Fine.” She grinned, though bit her lip afterward. “Hurry up, please?”

“As you wish, my Lady.”

“Kitty, you know I adore you, but please. This is  _not_ the time to be quoting dialogue from the  _Princess Bride._ ”

“Princess, I am  _shocked._ There’s  _always_ time to quote the  _Princess Bride_ film.”

“I swear, if you so much as  _mention_ that one scene where the girl tries to stab herself– _ouch!”_

Adrien flinched. “Sorry, I should have given some warning!”

She glared, and curved her lips into a pout. “You did that on  _purpose._ ”

“Actually, I didn’t.” Even then, his lips couldn’t hide the amused smile playing on them. “But I need you to hold still now, please.”

Quivers of embarrassment flooded her veins and made her skin  _burn_ as he cleaned the wound atop the borders of her breast line. Yet, there was little _discomfort_ in the fact that it was Adrien–Chat Noir, her alleycat with a heart of gold–treating her in such a close proximity. 

Watching him closely, however, Marinette’s tender smile could only grow. The small actions meant the most; Adrien sticking out his tongue, focusing on ways to minimize the pain for her; averting his eyes just enough to be polite, respectful, yet still credible and focused; his inexperience in medical care was  _more_ than made up for with the communication and relay of information he was sure to get (asking her where it hurt and what improvements were in her general pain tolerance, telling her ridiculous jokes and references in order to make her feel more at ease…). All of this amazed her at just how gentle the atmosphere that had formed between them had become over their time together; and how she would never trust someone to the same degree as Adrien again. 

Marinette’s gaze followed Adrien as he wrapped the bandages around her shoulder, sticking it together with improvised bobby-pins and the last strips of medical tape she had left. 

“And… there.” He cut off the last of the bandage. “All done.”

She flexed her shoulder. “Not bad, kitty.” 

“I learned from the best.”

She smirked. “And just  _who_ would that be?”

He poked her nose. “I think you  _know_ who, my Lady.”

They stared at each other for a brief second, before breaking their flirtatious banter down into chortles of hushed laughter. Adrien’s hand still held hers, warm and comforting, and she scooted a little closer to him.

Her cerulean eyes caught the light of the stars blinking at them from the velvet skies, and smiled as he buried his head into the crook of her neck and lazily pressing light, butterfly-like kisses to the skin. 

“Adrien?”

“Mm?” He hummed, still nuzzling his head into her neck.

“Maybe some of those kisses  _would_ help me heal up faster…”

No sooner had she said that, had his arms wrapped around her waist and hoisted her in closer. His lips went to her ear. “You sure?”

She patted his head. “Always, when I’m with you.”

His lips glided over her bandages, feather-light, but in no way did it feel like he was treating her like an object one-fall from smashing on a satin pillow. Adrien kissed her with the utmost delicacy–reminding them they shared all the emotional connections for physical affections in the world, but they were lovingly holding back from rushing head-first into the forest fire that was ignited by a teenager’s hormonal confusion. 

It was  _fine_ to go at their own pace.

Marinette squeezed his hand a little tighter, making sure he remembered that applied to him as much as it did to her.

The way he smiled at her afterward gave her the silent message.

_I do._


End file.
